New Delhi : Good news has come in the battle of Majithia Wage Board (MWB) which has been dragging on for a long time due to legal complications. The Honorable Supreme Court, while hearing the SLP of a Delhi-based employee of HT Media on Monday, has stayed the order of Delhi High Court issuing stay on the proceedings of the Labor Court on reference for recovery of due wages of MWB recommendations. Besides, stay also orders have been given to continue the proceedings of the Labor Court as per law. The special thing about this case is that this ploy of HD Media Ltd. Company, which is expert in trapping the employees in legal trap, has been foiled by the Supreme Court AOR and young lawyer Advocate Rahul Shyam Bhandari and that too without any fees.
It is important to write some words about Advocate Bhandari because when he came to know that the references of two newspaper employees Ravindra Dhakad and Kuldeep, who had lost their jobs in the MWB fight, were harassed by the above Newspaper Establishment specifically by way of delay tactics before the trial court and now has challenged the reference order of the NCT Delhi through Deputy Labour Commissioner who is a designated authority in terms of Section 17 of the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous provisions Act, 1955 in the High Court after almost three years delay. It was difficult for the above stated newspaper employees him to arrange the fees to hired the lawyers. In such a situation, on the request received on the phone of these two newspaper employees, Advocate Rahul Bhandair has agreed to represent them as “Pro bono” before the Delhi High Court and presented their case without any fees, but after the company got a sketchy stay order from there, he appealed this interim order in the Supreme Court also. After decided to challenge the above interim stay order, he first made a strong case and challenged the matter of Sh. Ravindra Dhakad. The result of the Special Leave Petition (C) filed before Hon’ble SC has come out on 08.01.2024. Now he will soon file the case of another employee named Kuldeep in similar manner. On the other hand, expressing happiness over this decision, President of the Newspaper Employing Union of India Ravindra Aggarwal and Vice President Shashikant have expressed gratitude to Advocate Rahul Shyaram Bhandari. He said that it is only because of young and helpful lawyers like Rahul ji that the common man in the country is getting justice.
